Internal combustion turbine



Sept. 26, 1939.

T. JACKSON ET AL INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE Filed June 8, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 26, 1939. T. JACKSON E1- A| 2,174,266

INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE Filed June 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTO R5 Patented Sept. 26, 1939 i UNITED STATES PATENT', orFlcE *INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE Thomas Jackson and George William Stanley,

' Denton, England Application June a, 193s, serial No. 212,522 In Great Britain June 15, 1937 s' Claims. (Cl. fio-41) This invention relates to improvements in in- A number of Icombustion chambers C, preferternal combustion turbines particularly for use ably four 'as shown in the drawings, are arranged -with cru'de oil which comprise the combination symmetrically at one end of the turbine chamber with a series of alternately fixed and moving A. Each chamber C is provided with an air inlet blades of a plurality of cylindrical combustion c controlled by a valve D, a fuel inlet c1 to which 5 chambers spaced around the turbine casing each fuel is supplied by a suitable pump and is preferhaving mechanically operated air inlet and comably atomized before or as it enters the chambustion product delivery valves and a lfuel inber C, and an outlet c2 into the turbine chamjector operated incorrect sequence, the air being ber A said outlet being controlled by the valve E. l l supplied under pressure by a fan or other means, Each chamber C is provided on its inner surl0 the combustion chambers Ybeing provided with face with a series of .iins or ribs F which are internal iinsy or ribs which during Working, after curved transversely as shown ini Figs. 6 and '8 ignition has been started electrically become nand are also of spiral or twisted construction candescent and ignite successive charges. longitudinally, as shown in Figs. 5, 7, 9 and lo l" According to the present invention theinternal Vso that they can be arranged spirally or at an l Fins 'or ribs of each combustion chamber are inclination around the inner surface of the'chamcurved transversely and arranged spirally or at ber forl the purpose of producing or increasing an inclination to the surface of the chamber turbulence of the gases in the chamber and pro- Y whereby tubulence or swirling oi the gases is mote eective scavenging after combustion and produced in each'chamber. prior to receiving the next charge of air. 20

The outer edges of the iins or ribs are preier- The inner edge of each n or blade F is prefably tapered to a iine edge or are oi serrated erably serrated to produce a plurality of fine :form whereby the edge or the points will readily points f which will readily become incandescent become incandescent during normal working due during normal working due to the heat of com- 25. to the heat oi combustion within the chambers bustion within the chamber and'ignite the mix- 25 and ignite themixture oi injected iuel and air ture ci injected fuel and air therein. The outer therein. edge oi each blade, i. e., the edge adjacent to the The invention will be described with reference Wall oi the chamber, may be flat as shown in Fig.

to the accompanying drawings in which- 5 or serrated to produce a plurality of tine points Fig. l. is a side elevation partly in section ci fas shown in Fig. 7. 30

the turbine. Instead oi the inner edge of each fin or blade F Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. being serrated as above described it may be Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through tapered to a fine edge f1 as shown in Fig. 9.

one 02E-the combustion chambers. The iins or ribs F are preferably formed sep' Fig. 4 is atransverse, section on line t-tl Fig. 3. arately from the chamber C to enable them to be 35 Fig. 5 isan elevation of one form of iin or rib removed therefrom and replaced should they beior insertion in a combustion chamber. come burnt or worn. The iins or ribs for each Fig. 6 is a section on line t--t Fig. 5. chamber may be termed into a unit which can Fig. 'l is an elevation of another form oi nn be readily inserted into the chamber. Suchaunit .01 i'ib. is shown in Fig. lli which shows the hns or ribs t@ Fig. 8 is a section on line t--t Fig. 7. F secured at each end to a ring or annulus F1 Fig. 9 is an elevation ci'` another `iorm oi iin or suitable diameter to t within the chamber. O1' Titi. Oneor more electric heater plugs G are ar- Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the fins or ranged in each combustion chamber C for the w ribs forV one chamber assembled together before purpose of igniting the mixture or air and iuel tit being secured in the chamber, the tins or ribs in the chamber when starting up :from cold. The being of the construction lshown in Figs. 5 and 6. heater G is connected through a plug y screwed The turbine comprises a casing forming a into an aperture c3 in the wall or the chamber chamber A containing a series of fixed blades a with a source of electrical supply which can be alternating with a series of moving blades h aiswitched oft when the hns or ribs F have been mi xed to the shaft B whichrotatesjwithin the casraised to a suilicient high temperature to cause ing. An exhaust outlet al for the-spent' gases is the combustion of the :mixture when in the provided in the chamber A through which the chamber. The use of the heater plugs Gis only gases escape after acting on the blades a and necessary for a short time on starting up as afterb to rotate the shaft B. 4 wards the combustion of the mixture will main- 55 perature to continue the combustion of each successive charge.

The air for combustion is supplied under preslsure to each combustion change C from an annular air pipe H connected at h to a fan or pump and by the pipes hi with the air inlet c of each chamber which inlet is, as has been previously stated, controlled by the valve D.

The fuel is supplied toeach combustion chamber by a pump which is connected to suitable atomizing devices J arranged in the fuel inlets c1.

After combustion the gases pass from each chamber C to the turbine chamber A through the outlet cn controlled by the valve E.

The valves D and E are driven from cam shafts driven through worm gearing from the turbine shaft B. In a turbine having four combustion chambers as illustrated in the drawings two cam shafts K1 and K1 are employed arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the shaft B and driven therefrom through the worm K and worm wheels k. Each shaft Kl or K2 carries four cams k1, k2, k and It* arranged in pairs, the cams k1 and lc3 of oneshaft Klfcontrolling the air inlet valves D of two adjacent combustion chambers and the cams k and If:4 of the same shaft controlling the outlet valves E of the same chambers to the turbine chamber A. The cams k1 and lc3 of the other shaft Kz similarly control the air inlet valves D of the other two' chambers C and the cams Ic2 and k4 the outlet valves E thereof.

'Ihe cams k1, k. k3 andJc4 operate the valves D and E through pivoted levers l1, l, I3 and 14 which act on the ends of the valve rods d ande and move them against the action of the springs d1 and e1 which act to keep the valves closed.

'Ihe cams k1, k?, k3, lc4 are so positioned on the shafts K1 and K so that each chamber C will receive the combustion air and deliver it to 'the turbine chamber A in succession and not simultaneously thereby giving a more even flow to th turbine blade a, b.

supply pump may be employed and the supply of f uel to each chamber be controlled by a suitable distributing valve.

An internal combustion turbine according to the invention is particularly applicable for use with heavy oil as fuel and can be used generally for propulsion purposes such as for aircraft and road vehicles and also for marine and power plant purposes.

What we Iclaim as our invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion turbine of the type referred to in combination combustion chambers, a plurality of internal fins extending the whole length of the combustion chamber and curved transversely and arranged obliquely and splrally to the surfacel thereof and rings attached at each end of the fins to secure them together into a tapered unit which can be readily inserted into and removed from the chamber.

2. In an internal combustion turbine of the -type referred to in combination combustion chambers, a plurality of internal fins extending the wholelength of the combustion chamber and curved transversely and arranged obliquely and splrally to the surface thereof, a plurality of points on the inner edge of each fin which will readily vbecome incandescent during normal working dueto the heat of combustion within the chamber and ignite the charge of injected air and fuel and rings attached at each end of the fins to secure them together into a unit which can be readily inserted into and removed from the chamber.

3. In an internal combustion turbine of the type referred to in combination combustion chambers, a plurality of internal fins extending the whole length of the combustion chamber and 'o curved transversely and arranged obliquely and spirally to the surface thereof, a tapered knife edge on the inner edge of each fin which will readily become incandescent during normal working due to the heat of combustion Within the chamber and ignite the charge of injected air and fuel and rings attached at each end of the ns to secure themtogether into a unit which can be readily inserted into and removed from the chamber.

THOMAS JACKSON. GEORGE WILLIAM STANLEY. 

